In October, business partners Neal Armstrong and Steven Loranz filed a request with Oak Park, asking for a zoning change so they could operate a craft brewery in the village. The Board of Trustees approved that request last month. Previously, the village did not recognize a brewery as a classified use.
The Noble Kinsman brewery will open in a vacant commercial space comprising 2,600 square feet. The new enterprise will be located on Roosevelt Road and should open in late 2015, according to Loranz. The company will devote most of its space to producing beer to distribute to retailers, though there will be a small tap-room for customers to buy beer.
Loranz and Armstrong hope to brew 500 barrels of beer in their first operating year, and ramp up to a target production rate of about 2,000 barrels by their fifth. They plan to provide an array of beers of varying colors, aromas, and flavors. They will produce their flagship beers year-round, and plan to provide limited release brews and seasonal beers from time to time.
Loranz is also mindful of the impact of a brewery on its neighbors, and has proposed measures to mitigate the potential problems.
The partners could work with a banner printing company to create a welcoming banner to place above the door to celebrate the opening.
